Politics
Despite intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent a renewed escalation of the war with Iran following the US midterm elections, Tehran and Washington remain far from reaching a peace deal, according to a senior Iranian official.
Despite intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent a renewed escalation of the war with Iran following the US midterm elections, Tehran and Washington remain far from reaching a peace deal, according to a senior Iranian official. Reports received from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday, November 3, said that, in the run-up to the US midterm elections taking place today, both Tehran and Washington had spent the past several weeks trying to reach an agreement through mediators. Their intensified diplomatic efforts were aimed at preventing the conflict from once again turning into a major armed confrontation after the elections. Against this backdrop, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that, despite continued indirect diplomatic contacts, Iran and the United States remained a long way from formally ending the war and reaching a peace agreement. Iran’s Supreme Leader has warned that if the United States or Israel launches further attacks, Iran will determine the timing and manner of their end.
According to US military sources, American forces carried out new airstrikes of a “defensive” nature on Iran’s Qeshm Island during the night between Monday and Tuesday. The strikes reportedly targeted Iranian surface-to-air missile systems that had been used to attack US assets. Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its personnel had shot down a US MQ-9-type drone over the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz last night. The senior Iranian official who provided Reuters with details about the diplomatic negotiations between Tehran and Washington spoke on condition of anonymity.
According to the official, Tehran and Washington have been discussing a draft agreement for the past eight days. Last night, Qatari mediators travelled to Tehran once again to hold further talks with Iranian leaders about the proposed peace deal. Iran has warned that any renewed US military action could draw a much wider geographical region into the conflict. The senior official said, “The mediators are continuously trying to narrow the differences between Tehran and Washington.” According to Reuters, Iranian Parliament Speaker and Tehran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday, November 3, that Tehran had given Washington a “strong and logical response” and that it was now up to the United States to make a decision.
